Re:Ask HN: How can I learn math?
by Mz on Sunday June 14, 2015 @04:41PM
(#9716266)
We kind of don't know enough about where you are to be able to help you. I homeschooled my gifted-learning disabled sons and I strongly disagree with some of the things suggested here.
You can look up "The Cartoon Guides..." For example, they do have a "Cartoon Guide to Statistics." I used to own it. I can tell you that the first chapter or two covers what my college intro to statistics covered. I was inducted into Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society, when I was 16 and I tutored math. I am good at explaining it and have a bit of a background, though I am a math slacker for HN. So, you know, we need more context to figure out what "beginning" you are looking for.
I will also say that I was in my thirties before I understood that the formulas I memorized my way through in high school had actual real world applications and so on. I was clear my oldest son could not just memorize his way through formulas. People who can do that are inclined to be math majors. People who cannot probably should not take much advice on learning math from math majors (I mean, unless they are experienced teachers as well who know how to reach folks who aren't so good at math -- Colin Wright's juggling video is very approachable, but many math majors seriously suck at explaining math to people who aren't also just inherently good at math). They are two different kinds of minds.
You can look up "The Cartoon Guides..." For example, they do have a "Cartoon Guide to Statistics." I used to own it. I can tell you that the first chapter or two covers what my college intro to statistics covered. I was inducted into Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society, when I was 16 and I tutored math. I am good at explaining it and have a bit of a background, though I am a math slacker for HN. So, you know, we need more context to figure out what "beginning" you are looking for.
I will also say that I was in my thirties before I understood that the formulas I memorized my way through in high school had actual real world applications and so on. I was clear my oldest son could not just memorize his way through formulas. People who can do that are inclined to be math majors. People who cannot probably should not take much advice on learning math from math majors (I mean, unless they are experienced teachers as well who know how to reach folks who aren't so good at math -- Colin Wright's juggling video is very approachable, but many math majors seriously suck at explaining math to people who aren't also just inherently good at math). They are two different kinds of minds.
Best of luck.